Published 4:00 am, Monday, December 16, 2002

Photo: CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ

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Terrell Owens celebrates his third quarter touchdown. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on Sunday, December 15, 2002.
(PHOTO BY CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ/THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) less

Terrell Owens celebrates his third quarter touchdown. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on Sunday, December 15, 2002.
(PHOTO BY CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ/THE SAN FRANCISCO ... more

Photo: CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ

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49ers Eric Johnson bobbles a pass as he is covered by Packers's Antuan Edwards in the fourth quarter of play. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on Sunday, December 15, 2002.
(PHOTO BY CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ/THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) less

49ers Eric Johnson bobbles a pass as he is covered by Packers's Antuan Edwards in the fourth quarter of play. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on Sunday, December 15, ... more

Photo: CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ

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Terrell Owens pulls down a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Garcia under coverage from Packers's Mike McKenzie in the third quarter. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on Sunday, December 15, 2002.
(PHOTO BY CARLOS AVILA GONZALEZ/THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE) less

Terrell Owens pulls down a 45-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Garcia under coverage from Packers's Mike McKenzie in the third quarter. The San Francisco 49ers lost to the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park on ... more

The mantel of heroism is a transitory thing in today's NFL, a week-to- week deal at best, and the 49ers this morning can only ponder a 20-14 loss to nemesis Green Bay as the latest example of that self-evident truth.

They could have, in a better world, pulled past the Packers in the waning seconds on Sunday at Candlestick Park. In that better world, quarterback Jeff Garcia would have capped an impressive last-minute drive with the glory of the winning touchdown, spreading joy and confidence to an organization that wants to believe it has big things in its future.

Instead, the real world, muddier and less pretty, beckoned.

Last week's gleeful escape at Dallas, a game that spoke to this team at its best in the clutch,into this week's disappointing flutter. After driving the 49ers from their own 26 to the Green Bay 14-yard line in the final moments, after trying to make something sunny and pretty on a gray and gusty and wet afternoon, the 49ers and Garcia stalled.

After three tries to move forward, Garcia on 4th-and-7 from the 11 felt heat in the pocket, stepped up quickly and threw a feckless incompletion, intended for tight end Eric Johnson. The ball lay on the damp grass, seemingly miles from the end zone, and the 49ers could only wonder: What now?

"We're in the playoffs," said receiver Terrell Owens, one of the more upbeat voices in the locker room. "We lost, but it's not the end of the world."

Countered Garcia, whose bid to outduel Packers great Brett Favre ended with that foul taste: "We didn't take advantage, and we let one slip away."

What now?

There are, apparently, a few ways to ponder that question. The reality is this: The 49ers (9-5) lost a previously remote chance to get a first-round bye in the playoffs, and now will host a wild-card game on Jan. 5. This means they have essentially two meaningless games left to work on healing and efficiency.

From this Green Bay game, like from the 49ers' season at large, there are signs of both good and bad: On the one hand, the 49ers' battered defense held Favre out of the end zone in the fourth quarter, twice forcing field-goal attempts. On the other hand, the 49ers' defense surrendered two lightning- quick Favre touchdown drives in the third quarter, turning a 6-3 halftime lead into a 17-6 Packers lead.

On the one hand, the 49ers' offense failed to take advantage of a poor Green Bay run defense, rushing Garrison Hearst and Kevan Barlow just 18 times for 75 yards. On the other hand, the 49ers' offense was able to strike, as when Garcia spotted a rare moment where Owens was left in man coverage.

Through the falling rain, Garcia lofted a pass downfield, and Owens hauled it in with Packers corner Mike McKenzie on his back. There, Owens did what he does so well, churning and running and not stopping, even when McKenzie tried to swat at the ball, and even when McKenzie tried to wrestle him down. Owens stormed into the end zone with a 45-yard score to make it 17-12, and before Garcia could sneak in for a 2-point conversion, Owens injected flair and life back into his team.

He spotted a Gold Rush cheerleader in the back of the end zone, ran up to the young woman, and took her gold pompons from her. There, in front of the cheerleaders and a poncho-wearing, roaring Candlestick crowd, Owens shimmied and swayed like a high-school cheerleader. It was uproarious stuff, and in such moments, Owens seemingly can turn momentum and energy.

"In my next life," Owens said with a sly grin, "I want to be a cheerleader."

By this point, the game had turned good. The first half, certainly, was not.

Both teams played cautious zone defenses. Combined with the weather, it produced timid play, even from the swashbuckling Favre. Green Bay's longest gain of the first half was 13 yards; the 49ers' longest was 8 yards.

The third quarter, then, would be where Favre left his mark. Disgusted with a lack of aggression, Favre made sure the Packers would play with moxie. A drive full of chunky gains ended with Ahman Green running in from 9 yards out, and Green Bay led 10-6. More important, the Packers raised the stakes.

"At some point," Favre said, "we had to take chances."

Things seemed firmly Green Bay's way when Garcia, pressured, then threw a bizarre interception off the back of guard Matt Willig. It popped in the air, and was snagged by Green Bay's Vonnie Holliday, who lateraled to Na'il Diggs for a 33-yard return. Favre does not waste chances like these -- he led the Packers 29 yards in six plays, finding Donald Driver when Driver sped past rookie corner Mike Rumph on a slant pass. Green Bay 17, 49ers 6.

It appeared certain the magnificent Favre would improve to a haunting 9-1 against the 49ers. With Green running better on the 49ers in the second half --

13 carries, 57 yards -- the Packers would have the ball for over 36 minutes. Short passes, quick runs -- the 49ers were watching Favre control things again.

"That quick passing game, teams do it because of our team speed," safety Tony Parrish said.

Quick passing and ball control; cautious zones on defense. It was a good game plan for Green Bay, and it would negate Owens, who caught seven balls for 30 yards outside of the big touchdown.

"Mostly, it was the coverage, two-deep zones," said coach Steve Mariucci. "When they did blitz and jump us man-to-man, we scored. So teams shy away from that against us."

Which brought the 49ers to the final drive. Down, 20-14, with 4:41 left. Here it was: a chance for Garcia to mimic his Dallas brilliance, only against a much better team. A chance to take a pound of flesh from a rival that too often did so to the 49ers.

As against Dallas, it required good decisions, and short gains. Garcia ran for 13 yards, and a Garcia-to-Johnson pass gained 14 yards and set up 1st-and- 10 from the 14. From there, it went like this:

-- First down, Garcia scrambled right, had an open field, but tried a throw to Tai Streets in the corner of the end zone. Streets' left foot was out-of- bounds. Garcia looked back with regret. "In retrospect, maybe I should have kept it and got 6 or 7 yards," Garcia said.

-- Second down, a draw play to Hearst. "The thinking being," Garcia said, "with that zone coverage, and them protecting the goal line, we could squeeze one through." Three yards when Diggs tackled him.

-- Third down from the 11. Garcia dropped back, but stepped up quickly and threw a pass into Willig's back. "I felt pressure," Garcia said.

-- Fourth down. With the memory of Owens' game-winner against Dallas fresh, Green Bay double-teamed the receiver, and forced Garcia to look for Johnson. The 49ers had sent two receivers to the end zone, and two for a first down. Garcia stepped up, and felt heat. Incomplete. "Unfortunately, I felt pressure off my backside," Garcia said. "It forced me to throw before I wanted to."

Conclusions can be drawn in January. For now, count it as a third home loss of the season, and a fifth loss to a team with a winning record. With losses to NFC powers Philadelphia, New Orleans and now Green Bay, why should the 49ers believe they have something special inside of them?

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